We’re still on a high from our sighting of Rain the cheetah and her cubs when we turn from Nare Link into Sefara Drive in the Pilanesberg National Park, following the road uphill. Before we even crest the rise we become aware of the sound of thundering hooves moving at speed…
“Buffaloes!”
The Park’s buffaloes are so seldomly seen that they’re known as the “ghosts of the Pilanesberg”, and any encounter with them is a thrilling treat. Even more so these particular buffaloes, as they are in quite a rush to get away as quickly as possible, allowing only a few photos as they run past us, thankfully without smashing into our vehicle. Was it us who scared them?
Buffaloes rushing past us on Sefara Drive
Buffaloes rushing past us on Sefara Drive
Buffaloes rushing past us on Sefara Drive
As the buffaloes stampede down into the valley, we get back our composure and drive on. We don’t get very far however before Joubert yells out, again, “Lions!” Could it really be our third lion sighting of the morning!?
Indeed, there obscured behind some twigs and branches, are a pride of 5 lions wrestling with a buffalo cow on the ground! Now the stampeding herd of buffaloes we saw half-a-minute ago makes perfect sense!
Lions killing a buffalo on Sefara Drive
Lions killing a buffalo on Sefara Drive
As the bellowing of the cow dies down, no longer to be heard above the sound of raindrops on the car’s roof, and her feverish kicking stops, it’s clear that the fight is all over. In the excitement it takes a while for me to figure out that if I drive past the scene we’d have a much clearer view of it looking back. Just as the feeding starts one of the younger lionesses gets up and walks off, presumably to collect the pride’s cubs to join the feast. While we wait almost an hour for her to return, she doesn’t, so the cubs must’ve been quite some distance away. In the meantime the sights and sounds of the lions tearing the buffalo cow open and apart is as bone-chilling as you can imagine.
Lions preying on buffalo in the Pilanesberg National Park
Lions preying on buffalo in the Pilanesberg National Park
Lions preying on buffalo in the Pilanesberg National Park
Lions preying on buffalo in the Pilanesberg National Park
Lions preying on buffalo in the Pilanesberg National Park
Lions preying on buffalo in the Pilanesberg National Park
Lions preying on buffalo in the Pilanesberg National Park
Lions preying on buffalo in the Pilanesberg National Park
Lions preying on buffalo in the Pilanesberg National Park
Lions preying on buffalo in the Pilanesberg National Park
Lions preying on buffalo in the Pilanesberg National Park
And to think we’re only half-way through our day in the Pilanesberg!
If you’d like to follow along as we explore the Pilanesberg, a map may come in handy (for a large format version click here)

Scene where we saw the buffaloes and lions on Sefara Drive
If you need to catch up on our drive through the Pilanesberg National Park, you can read all the previous posts here.
To be continued tomorrow.
Like this:
Like Loading...